one must convey her thither, since I
must not appear before her in this matter. Therefore hath my choice
fallen on you, sir, for that mission, chiefly because of that instinct
which last night told me that I could trust you. If my instinct should
prove me wrong, I would kill you for having cheated me, but I would even
then not regret what I had done."

He paused and for a moment looked straight into the laughter-loving face
of the man in whose keeping he was ready to entrust with absolute
callousness the safety and honour of one whom he should have protected
with his life. The whole face, even now seemed still to laugh, the eyes
twinkled, the mouth was curled in a smile.

The next moment the young adventurer had risen to his full height. He
picked up his hat which lay on the platform close beside him and with it
in his hand he made an elaborate and deep bow to Nicolaes Beresteyn.

"Sir?" queried the latter in astonishment.

"At your service, sir," said Diogenes gaily, "I am saluting a greater
blackguard than I can ever hope to be myself."

"Insolent!" exclaimed Nicolaes hotly.

"Easy, easy, my good sir," interposed the other calmly, "it would not
suit your purpose or mine that we should cut one another's throat. Let
me tell you at once and for the appeasing of your anxiety and that of
your friends that I will, for the sum of 4,000 guilders, take
Jongejuffrouw Beresteyn from this city to any place you may choose to
name. This should also ease your pride, for it will prove to you that I
also am a consummate blackguard and that you therefore need not stand
shamed before me. I have named a higher sum than the one which you have
offered me, not with any desire to squeeze you, sir, but because
obviously I cannot do this work single-handed. The high roads are not
safe. I could not all alone protect the lady against the army of
footpads that infest them, I shall have to engage and pay an escort for
her all the way. But she shall reach the place to which you desire me to
take her, to this I pledge you my word. Beyond that ... well! you have
said it yourself, by her knowledge of your secret she has forfeited her
own safety; you--her own brother--choose to entrust her to me. The rest
lies between you and your honour."

An angry retort once more rose to Nicolaes Beresteyn's lips, but
commonsense forced him to check it. The man was right in what he said.
On the face of it his action in entrusting his own sister into the
kee